Food and Workout Journal for April 14, 2008

I did it! I got up at 4:45 a.m. this morning so that I could start my workout at 5:00 a.m.!!

Oy! It was not fun getting up that early. But I don't like getting up in the morning no matter what. But I do love to get my workout done!

I did Squeeze (the one hour "Full Squeeze") version. I'd say I was able to do 80% really well. I probably could have done better at night, and it will take me awhile to adjust to this schedule. Tonight (at 8:00 p.m.) I took a walk around the neighborhood (the south loop) - it's 1/2 hour walk, so approximately 2 miles.

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! Cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese

11:00 a.m. 1 M&M cookie

12:00 p.m. Ham, cheese, and mustard on sourdough bread, 17 mini pretzels, 1 M&M cookie, diet coke

5:00 p.m. Quizno's w/ DH: Small Baja Chicken Sub, 1/2 serving Jalepeno chips, 1/2 bottle (1 serving) vitamin water

8:45 p.m. 1 brownie, small glass 2% milk

Food Journal for April 13, 2008

Today is my day off from exercise....I definitely needed a break! The food? Ummm, not so good today!

9:15 a.m. 1 Belgium waffle w/syrup, small glass OJ

12:30 p.m. 1 chocolate glazed brownie w/ small glass 2% milk (man, these are good brownies - Ghirardelli)

2:30 p.m. 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese

3:00 p.m. 3 Dove chocolates (w/caramel)

3:45 p.m. 1 ENORMOUS wiener on bun w/ketchup, mustard, and onions; few baked BBQ chips, 1 sliver of chocolate glazed brownie

6:00 p.m. 1 root beer suck candy

7:45 p.m. 1 M&M cookie

8:30 p.m 1 large "cereal bowl" of popcorn (buttered, salted), 1 small (8 oz.) can regular root beer

Plans for the week

It's a rainy spring day, and I'm enjoying the day at home. DH has stepped out to take care of some car maintenance. It's quiet and the birds are chirping. I can't believe how green the grass is getting. Most of the trees have buds on them. I can't wait for the brush in the back to get leaves on them as the houses in the back will be completely obliterated from view then. It's supposed to be sunny and dry several days this week, which means DH and I will get some walks in during the evenings. I'm trying to get ahead on my studying today so that we can do that.

In addition, I'm going to REALLY try to get my main workout done in the mornings. UGH....I'm not good with this. I looove to sleep in as long as I can. In order to get an hour's workout in, I'll need to get up at 5:00 a.m. Still, I'd rather get up and get it over with so that I don't have to do it at night when I'd rather be outside.

The morning workout plan for the week is:

Monday: Squeeze
Tuesday : Slim Series Tone it Up
Wednesday: Squeeze
Thursday : Slim Series Mix it Up
Friday : Squeeze
Saturday: Slim Series Tear it Up
Sunday : Off

I have a study group Monday night, but the rest of the week is free....so I hope to get a lot of walking in!

What I'm Reading (Listening!) to Now

Ahhh.....I love our library. Although our branch is probably one of the smaller ones (set in a beautiful park setting away from the main roads), it is tied into one of the greatest library systems in the country. I'm so thankful for that it's only a mile away. Recently I got a HUGE stack of audio and regular books to keep me busy for the next month or so.

I've been listening to Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult, and it is excellent. This is a relatively long one (16 cassettes - 19.25 hours), but the narration is really good and I listen to it every chance I get.

I seem to be on a Jodi Picoult kick lately. I also checked out of the library the following Picoult books:

• Plain Truth (unabridged audio, but only 12 cassettes!)
  
• Mercy
• Vanishing Acts
• The Tenth Circle

I'm not sure what makes her so good, but she definitely has some compelling plots. I just wish I had a few more hours in the day to read!

Food and Workout Journal for April 12, 2008

Wow....this month is just FLYING! I've been doing great with my workouts. Tomorrow, though, I think I'm going to take break. The ol' bod is starting to feel the need for a rest. As far as the food thing goes, well....I know I could do better. But as long as my weight is going down, I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I know it's better than it used to be (I guess that goes to show how bad it was before!).

9:15 a.m. 1 Belgium waffle w/maple syrup, small glass OJ (DH loves to make breakfast!)

1:30 p.m. 2 M&M cookies

4:15 p.m. Bonefish Grill w/DH: (hey...we had to celebrate our last mortgage payment!)

• House salad with pine nuts, feta cheese, and citrus herb vinaigrette
• Bread dipped in pesto and olive oil (split the bowl w/DH)
• Longfin Tilapia with Chimichurri Sauce (A sauce made with extra virgin olive oil, Italian parsley, flavored with garlic and red pepper)
• Herbed Jasmine Rice
• Water (though I would have loved to have a pop!)

7:45 p.m. Few licks of brownie batter

9:00 p.m. 1 chocolate-glazed brownie, small glass 2% milk

WORKOUT: Slim Series Shape It Up! w/Debbie Seibers (78 min. workout)

Food and Workout Journal for April 11, 2008

6:20 a.m. 5 Frosted Mini Wheats biscuits, small glass juice

12:15 p.m. Scorchers w/Susan: Grilled ham and cheese sandwich, French fries, diet coke

Afternoon - 3 Hershey Nuggets w/almonds

5:15 p.m. Bob Evans w/DH: 1 buttermilk biscuit, 3/4's of a roll, Wildfire Chicken salad (Wildfire fried chicken, BBQ tortilla strips and corn on top of mixed greens, scallions, cheddar cheese and Wildfire ranch dressing on the side).

6:00 p.m. 1 root beer suck candy

WORKOUT: Squeeze (Full Squeeze - 1 hour) with Tracy Effinger

Food and Workout Journal for April 10, 2008

6:30 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal, 1 mini bagel w/cream cheese, small glass OJ

Mid-morning snack w/Kathy: 2 small M&M cookies

12:30 p.m. Some kind of turkey wrap from Gardenia (turkey, cheese, peppers, onions or tortilla), few regular chips, diet pepsi

5:30 p.m. 2 more (small) M&M cookies

7:30 p.m. 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass vitamin water (1/2 serving), 3 Dove chocolates

WORKOUT: Slim in 6 Ramp It Up! with Debbie Seibers (45 min.)

Food and Workout Journal for April 9, 2008

6:15 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/ raw sugar to sweeten, 1/2 mini bagel w/peanut butter, small glass juice

12:30 p.m. Chicken fajita wrap from Gardenia (chicken, rice, peppers, onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa), few regular potato chips, diet coke

1:30 p.m. 1 Hershey Nugget

5:45 p.m. 2 M&M cookies

9:00 p.m. 2 large pieces Rascal House Pepperoni pizza, 3 BBQ wings, 1 small (8 oz.) can Dr. Pepper

WORKOUT: One hour walk around neighborhood - South loop + 2 cul de sacs + Fox Chase (8,000 steps)

Food and Workout Journal for April 8, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass OJ

12:00 p.m. 3 pieces Rascal House pepperoni pizza, diet pepsi

6:00 p.m. 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 17 mini pretzels, small glass (1/2 serving) vitamin water, tiny piece NY cheesecake w/chocolate sauce

9:00 p.m. 2 M&M cookies (these are so easy to make....and so good!), small glass 2% milk

WORKOUT: Squeeze w/Tracy Effinger - HOLY CRAP, that's a tough workout!!!!! I think I'm going to get really consistent with this one with some good cardio....I can't imagine that doing this workout consistently wouldn't produce some awesome results.

MORE RESULTS!

This morning I wanted to wear something a little on the casual side, and I noticed a pair of black "docker-style" pants in my closet. I had bought them a couple of months ago and they barely fit...mostly tight in the hip area.

So I tried them on today....whoohooo! PERFECT fit! I'm psyched!

In addition, I tried on a pair of jeans I had bought at the same time that were too tight. They fit fine now. So I know I've lost a jeans size.

Childfree Weekends + Nice Weather = BLISS

No, we didn't take off on a spur-of-the moment trip to a sunny locale. We actually just had a very normal, quiet weekend. Yet, it contrasted significantly from our last weekend when we visited our families. Although we love to visit, we are often surrounded by kids (aka noise and confusion). Still, as "normal" as the weekend was, for some reason I was feeling so grateful and really joyful about it, that it made the weekend that much more special. In looking back through the activities of the weekend, it's obvious to me that having children would make this kind of weekend next to impossible. Here's a quick run-down:

Friday night - Came home and did a 78-minute workout and then folded laundry. While I was doing this, DH was being a real sweetheart and cleaned the house. After we were both done, we hopped in the whirlpool for a long soak. Then we made some popcorn and watched a movie in our loft. Then we settled in for a long, uninterrupted sleep.

Saturday - Slept in. I woke up to DH making breakfast (pancakes and eggs). After eating and cleaning this up, we went outside and laid on the deck for a few hours. Tinky the kitty laid right with us. She loves being outside, but she knows she has to stay right with us. I read a book and also listened to another book on tape. DH listened to his talk radio programs. After that we cleaned up and went out for a good lunch/dinner. We then took a drive to Hinckley Reservation which has a beautiful lake and tons of trails. We walked around the lake which takes just under one hour and then came home. After doing some stuff on our own (he likes to tinker in the garage and outside; I like to surf the internet, read, etc.), we took another soak in the whirlpool and then watched some TV before going to bed.

Sunday - another sleep in. DH is almost always up before me. This time, he made us CoCo Wheats (my favorite), and we got ready for a nice long walk in the Bedford Reservation. It was a gorgeous day, and we really enjoyed it. We came home and I did another workout while he surfed the internet and did some work in the garage. Then we lounged around on the deck (reading, listening to music, and listening to books on tape). We made some burgers, cleaned up the kitchen, and then went outside for some more deck time. DH then decided to go upstairs and take a nap in the spare bedroom while I read the Sunday paper, surfed the net, did some studying, and visited a neighbor. Then together we did some light yard work, cleaning up our beds and getting them ready for a new load of mulch. We then sat on the porch and chatted for awhile. After coming back in, tidying up the house, etc., we watched a movie together and went to bed.

All in all, a very quiet weekend. Maybe some would consider it boring. Yet we both enjoyed it immensely. The best part, for us, was that it was quiet. Even the neighborhood kids were relatively silent. Ahhhh.....BLISS!!!

Food and Workout Journal for April 7, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Ham, cheese, and mustard on wheat bun, 17 mini pretzels, 2 mint "Oreo"-style cookies, diet coke

5:00 p.m. Chipotle w/DH: Split a Chicken Fajita Burrito (chicken, peppers, onions, rice, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce on tortilla), water

9:15 p.m. 4 Dove Chocolates

WORKOUT: 2.5 mile walk (neighborhood bike trail w/DH) - I had class tonight and didn't have a lot of time to workout. Besides the fact that this is our last nice day for awhile (we're in for a lot of rain), I just wanted to spend time w/DH.

Euphoria

Today I ordered a mortgage payoff statement from the bank....they faxed it to me, I took out a certified check, and officially paid off our mortgage! Wheeee! Really, our house was pretty much paid off months ago. I simply started dragging out our payments (paying the minimum) until they took care of a tax/escrow situation. Since that is resolved, I decided just to pay it off entirely. It's an amazing feeling!

Now, the only thing we owe is for our landscaping. We do have the money to pay it, but we are on a no-interest plan until October. I may just pay the minimum until September and then pay it all off. It's quite a large chunk of money, unfortunately.

Food and Workout Journal for April 6, 2008

9:00 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/ raw sugar to sweeten, 1 mini bagel w/ little bit of peanut butter, small glass OJ

2:00 p.m. Organic hamburger on wheat bun w/onions, ketchup and mustard, few baked BBQ chips, couple bites of baked beans, water, 2 root beer suck candies

3:30 p.m. 3 Dove chocolates

6:30 p.m. Small piece New York cheesecake w/chocolate sauce


WORKOUT: One hour walk in Bedford reservation (7,800 steps) + The FIRM Better Body and Buns (Tri-Trainer)

Food and Workout Journal for April 5, 2008

9:30 a.m. Little bit of egg whites, 1 and 1/4 buttermilk pancakes w/syrup, small glass grape juice

1:30 p.m. 3 Dove chocolates

2:45 p.m. Longhorn w/DH:

• Tossed salad (lettuce, other veggies, with tiny bit of shredded cheese, croûtons, and side of Ranch dressing)
• 2 chunks of brown bread (= 1/2 small round loaf)
• Amarillo Chicken Sandwich (chicken breast glazed w/ Amarillo BBQ sauce, cheddar and Jack cheese on cheddar and jalapeno roll)
• Cole slaw

5:15 p.m. Vitamin water (about 1/2 serving)

6:30 p.m. Very small piece of NY Cheesecake w/chocolate sauce

8:00 p.m. 3 Root beer suck candies

WORKOUT: 1 hour walk (approx 7000 steps) around Hinckley Lake (longer, paved trail).

Food and Workout Journal for April 4, 2008

6:30 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice

9:30 a.m. 1 large bagel with cream cheese (somebody brought in Panera!)

12:30 p.m. Key West w/Susan: Grilled chicken sandwich w/provolone cheese and cajun mayo, French fries, diet coke

7:15 p.m. Tiny piece New York Cheesecake w/ little bit chocolate sauce

9:30 p.m. 1 large "cereal" bowl of buttered/salted popcorn, tiny bit of regular Coke

WORKOUT: Slim Series Shape it Up! w/Debbie Siebers - 78 minutes. Well, I definitely made up for last night's easier workout. Actually, although this is a long one, it's very "doable." There is only one move (an ab move) that I modify slightly. The rest is pretty basic, and you feel nicely worked out after it's done.

Food and Workout Journal for April 3, 2008

6:20 a.m. 5 Frosted Mini Wheats biscuits, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

10:00 a.m. Small piece cinnamon crumb coffee cake

1:00 p.m. Gardenia w/Kathy: Chipolte Chicken Wrap (chicken, peppers, onions, cheese), few potato chips, diet coke

6:30 p.m. Grilled cheese sandwich (w/2 slices colby jack cheese), 1 large piece New York cheesecake, small glass (1/2 serving) vitamin water, 1 rootbeer suck candy

WORKOUT: Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds Express Advanced 3 Mile Walk. (45 minutes) I was really beat tonight for some reason, and this was a good alternative to skipping a workout. I never feel very worked-out after a Leslie workout (even though I'm adding arm movements and some propulsions), but it's a decent, light way to get a little exercise.

Food and Workout Journal for April 2, 2008

6:30 a.m. 5 Frosted Mini Wheat biscuits, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Ham, cheese and mustard on wheat bun, 17 mini pretzels, 2 mint "Oreo"-style cookies, diet coke

6:15 p.m. Panera w/DH: Cup of lowfat chicken noodle soup, 1 French baguette, 1/2 Turkey Bravo sandwich (turkey, bacon, Gouda cheese, onions, and sauce on ciabatta bread), 1 pickle, water

WORKOUT: Walk in Brecksville Reservation - approx. 1 hour total (ate at Panera at 1/2 way point) - almost 7,000 steps. It was a cold, but beautiful night....we both really enjoyed getting out.

Then came home and did Cathe Friedrich's Total Body Sculpting - 1/2 hour sculpting workout done exclusively on the stability ball. I love this one. She uses 3 lb. weights throughout, but when you heavy up, you can get a very decent workout.

Food and Workout Journal for April 1, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

10:30 a.m. Small piece Entenmann's Cheese Filled Crumb Coffee Cake, diet coke

12:30 p.m. Gardenia w/Kathy: Chicken fajita wrap (broiled chicken, rice, peppers, onions, cheese, salsa, sour cream), a few regular potato chips, diet coke

5:45 p.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/whipped cream cheese, water, 1 piece New York Cheesecake w/ little bit chocolate syrup

WORKOUT: Cathe Cardio + Weights on 4" step (Intensity Series)

Results for March 2008

WHOOOOOO! I'm a very happy girl right now. I lost 4.5 pounds in March!!! I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I feel good about it.....especially since I haven't starved myself. The bigger news is that it's starting to show some. It's subtle, but it's coming.

Grand total of pounds lost in 2008: 12.5!